Mutatio
by IceCreamXMilk
Summary: As soon as I saw crystal like tears fall from her eyes, I immediately encaged her in my arms. "How did it all come to this?" she asked me, sobbing unto my chest. "A man once said 'Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts. And that's what we did, we changed for the better." Akashi x OC eventual Kuroko x OC
1. Gloxinia

**Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basuke ****(Kuroko's Basketball, The Basketball Which Kuroko Plays) is manga that is written and illustrated by no other than Tadatoshi Fujimaki. I don't own any of the manga's characters.**

**Author's Note: First and foremost, I would like to show you my deepest gratitude for reading this lame fanfic of mine. This is my first fanfiction to be posted on an online reading site, so I just wanna apologize in advice if this story is lame, but I am finding ways to improve my fail writing. Reviews, comments, suggestions and also corrections are very much welcome.**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

GLOXINIA

* * *

__Gloxinia ___flowers have the floral ___meaning ___of the gentility of love at first sight__._

* * *

At the fateful day of October 14, a woman named Sachiko Yukimura gave birth to her first born child; a baby girl with bright orange hair and amethyst blue eyes. She cradled the said infant in her arms, tears of joy streaming down her face, she pecked her child's forehead lovingly, pouring all the happiness and love she feels for the said infant in that soft kiss. She finally achieved the dream that she always wanted and that is to be a mother.

The door suddenly opened, revealing her husband, Seiichi Yukimura whose lips are formed into a wide smile with his teeth showing. He approached the bed where his child and wife lay. He took a moment in memorizing the beautiful scene in front of him: his wife that he loves so much holding the result of their love. He, then, examined his child's features taking note of its orange hair, white skin and pink lips which she inherited from the mother, he also took notice the child's amethyst blue eyes mirroring his own.

"Have you decided on what to name her?" Seiichi asked.

Sachiko flashed a smile to her husband and said, "No, not yet. I'll just leave the naming to you."

"Hm…. Let's see… Since her hair is orange just like yours, why don't we call her _'Orenji'[1]_," the man said jokingly, earning a cold glare from his wife who, apparently, didn't like the joke at all.

"No. Think of _better_ names."

"But I like it since it reflects her," whined her husband.

"You're making this seem like a joke, _aho[2]!_" Sachiko reprimanded.

"But I want her name to have the orange feel in it," he whined.

"Alright, I'll think of another one….Let's see…..Dai…Daidaiiro…..Daiko….Daike….Ah! How about _Daisuke[3]_?"

"That is a male's name," replied the woman with a disgusted look on her face.

The male's eyes soften and spoke in a gentle voice, "It depends on how you look at it. It's perfect for her since it has 'dai' in it and it describes what she has done to our life. If not for her, our marriage would have fallen apart, her existence made us learn to love each other again."

Sachiko smiled at her husband's reply and said, "I've got no other choice do I? Alright then, let's name her Daisuke."

Hearing his wife's answer, Seiichi Yukimura grinned and leaned forward to the sleeping infant in his wife's arms and said, "From now on you are Daisuke Yukimura, carry our family's name with pride and honour, and I hope that you will live exactly as your name. Remember that Papa and Mama loves you very much."

* * *

As Daisuke grew up, many people regarded her as special for she showed extraordinary traits that most children doesn't show; she was able to talk, read, write, count and walk earlier than most children. But the problem that bothers her parents the most is that she is silent; she rarely talks at all. She always reply by nodding and shaking her head 'no' when a question has been addressed to her, and most of the time she stares blankly at the person who is talking to her; she doesn't make any remarks or comments at all.

The said child is currently sitting in the middle of the living room, reading a fairy tale collection book, completely aware of her parents who, from time to time, will sneak glances at her and speak to themselves in shushed tones as if they are discussing a secret.

"I think that something is wrong with our daughter, Sachiko," Seiichi told his wife with a troubled look on his face.

"_You_ think?" Sachiko sarcastically replied.

Not noticing the sarcasm given to him by his wife, Seiichi continued, "Do you think it's because she doesn't have any friends or maybe someone to talk to? We are rarely at home after all."

"I don't think that's it. She is surrounded by maids, meaning she has someone to talk to and even play with," replied the woman.

"But they are not close to her age, we should find someone who is close to her age," suggested the male making Sachiko agree with him.

The two started to think of people they know that has children. Upon seeing the red carpet that she is stepping on, Sachiko suddenly remembered the Akashi family, a family that they've known for a very long time.

"Come to think of it Sei, didn't Akashi's wife gave birth to a boy? I think Daisuke and that boy have the same age," Sachiko said, voicing out her thoughts.

"You want us to arrange a meeting for the two of them?" questioned Seiichi.

"No, I just randomly said that for no apparent reason."

Wincing at his wife's cold reply, Seiichi reasoned, "Oh come on Sachi. That's not why I meant. I just think that Akashi will probably think that we want our daughter to be his son's lover."

"Knowing him, I think he will probably think that too and I also think that he will grab that chance to expand his business," Sachiko added bitterly.

"That's what I was saying Sachi. Let's find another family," whined the male.

Since the boy is carrying the Akashi name, Sachiko knew that the boy is well-educated and also well-mannered. She found the boy as the only answer to their little problem, because she wants the best for her daughter and Akashi's son is the best, so she tried to convince her husband into concurring with her idea.

"We have no other choice Sei. Akashi's boy is the best there is."

Knowing that his wife is right, Seiichi looked at his daughter, who noticed that her father is looking at her. Daisuke turned to look at her father. Upon seeing the blank look on her daughter's face, Seiichi sighed, realizing that his daughter needs help bad. He turned to his wife and said, "Let's do it."

* * *

Daisuke's eyes skimmed over the pages of the story she is reading, the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Taking note of every single detail written, Daisuke pictured them in her mind only to remain passive throughout the whole story, not even a confused look is seen on her face. Her ears perked up as she heard faint sound of footsteps coming to her. Daisuke closed her book the same time as the maid entered, as if she already calculated everything.

"_Ojou-san [4]_, it's almost time for your piano lesson. I already prepared a bath for you," announced the maid.

As soon as she heard that, Daisuke stood up quietly and dusted her dress, she then proceeded into picking up the books scattered all over the floor. Seeing that her mistress is picking up the books, the maid immediately said, "Oujo-san, there's no need for you to do that, I'll bring them back to the library myself."

But the child just passed by her, carrying all the books with her, Daisuke didn't even spare a glance at the troubled maid. Due to her small stature and the amount of book she is carrying, Daisuke had a hard time climbing up the stairs. As she is walking to the library, she didn't notice that her shoelace in untied, causing her to fall face down on the floor with the extension of dropping all the books, she instantly sat up and rubbed her forehead that is know forming a bruise. She looked at the books that are now scattered on the floor while letting out a small sound of disappointment. Daisuke stood up and tied her shoelace tightly, then proceeded into picking up the books. As she was picking up the books, she heard her father's grating voice, "That's fine with me, Akashi."

She stopped for a while thinking to herself, 'Why is father so loud?', but soon continued in picking up the books.

As Daisuke went to pile up the books, she heard her father laugh, "Ahahaha, I'm sure that Daisuke will like that."

At the sound of her name, she stopped again what she's doing and thought to herself, 'What in the world is father planning?'

Her question was answered as soon as she heard the next statement of her father, "Then I'll pick up Seijuurou tomorrow, so that he and Daisuke will be able to meet."

Hearing that, Daisuke carried the book pile she made and then continued her way to the library with a feeling of dislike towards the boy that her father mentioned for the peace she has been accustomed to will soon come to an end.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Akashi family house, a boy with amaranth red hair is sitting in his room, playing chess by himself. His scarlet eyes darts around on each piece while thinking of moves that will lead him closer to winning. A sudden knock was heard, making him turn his head to face the door and ask, "What's the matter?"

"_Botchan[5]_, your father demands your presence," a muffled voice spoke.

The boy replied, "I'll be there."

The red haired boy exited his room and walked towards his father's office. He stopped in front of the office's door and knocked gently. When he heard a low reply telling him to come in, he opened the door and went in. In the said office sat his father who beckoned him to come closer.

The small boy looked at his father and greeted him, "Good morning, _Otou-san[6]_."

"Likewise, Seijuurou," came a short reply.

Deciding on cutting the chase, Seijuurou asked his father, "Is there a problem, Otou-san?"

"No, there isn't any problem at all. I'm sure you have heard of the Yukimura family, yes?" asked the older man.

"Yes," replied the boy.

"The head of the Yukimura family, Seiichi Yukimura, called me earlier, he wants you and his daughter to meet and be acquainted with each other, and I accepted his invitation. So tomorrow morning, he is going to pick you up here," the older Akashi stated. "I expect you to act properly because as I already told you before I don't tolerate failure in my house and also in my family. Understood?"

"Yes, Otou-san," came Seijuurou's quick reply.

"Now, go."

And the young boy did as he was told.

* * *

Daisuke opened her eyes groggily as the sun rays hits her sleeping form, she stifled a yawn as she sits up her bed. She looked around her room and stretched her arms. A maid suddenly enters her room, upon seeing that the young mistress is awake, the maid stopped at her tracks, went back to the doorway and knocked.

"Forgive me, Ojou-san. I didn't know you were awake," muttered the maid.

Seeing that her young mistress is staring blankly at her, she took that as a cue and walked inside the room to open the curtains, and help Daisuke in getting off her bed. As she is fixing the bed, the older female asks, "What would you like for the bath: bubbles or lavender oil?"

But Daisuke being herself always, just ignored the maid and went to the bathroom.

"I'll just prepare your dress then, Ojou-san."

After Daisuke is finished with her bath, she proceeded to the dining room to eat her breakfast. As she was eating, she noticed that her parent's chairs were vacant. Noticing the glance made by Daisuke at her parent's seats, one of the maids in the dining room said, "The mistress went to the city to meet some of her clients while master went to the Akashi's to pick up the young master of the house."

'Ah, yes. Today is the day that father is going to introduce me to that boy,' Daisuke thought to herself as she remembered what she heard yesterday.

The sound of the engine pulled her out of her thoughts, she looked at the window and saw a black limousine passing by. Then she heard the various shouts of the maids and also the butlers saying that "The master has arrived" and "A guest is with the master, prepare the guest room."

Wanting to see the appearance of the boy that her father talked about happily yesterday, Daisuke left the dining room. As she arrived at the main door, she was enveloped into a hug by her father.

"Daisuke, did you come to welcome your father?" Seiichi asked his daughter, feeling touched by his thought that his daughter came to welcome him.

"No," Daisuke replied bluntly.

"You're hurting my feelings, Dai-dai," the older Yukimura cried out.

Daisuke ignored her father, completely used to this kind of situation. She heard the door of the car opening and closing, signaling that someone had just alighted from the said vehicle. Her father suddenly stopped from his 'emotional crisis' and said with a grin, "Ah, that's right! Daisuke, I've brought you a friend."

As the word 'friend' left Seiichi's lips, he went back outside to accompany his little guest inside the house. As both him and his guest went inside, Seiichi proudly announced to his daughter, "Daisuke, this is the Akashi's son, Seijuurou. Seiijuurou, this is my daughter, Daisuke."

"It's nice to meet your acquaintance, _Akashi-san[7]_," the orange haired girl said softly.

Daisuke directed her eyes in front of her and saw a boy with amaranth red hair and scarlet eyes. For the first time, Daisuke was left staring at someone, she can feel her cheeks heating up as she look at the boy in front of her. She felt like his scarlet eyes are staring right into her soul, luring her in. His red hair and eyes captivates her so much for she had never seen a shade of red so beautiful that can actually make her stare at them for too long. Completely drawn into her own fantasy, Daisuke didn't notice the boy walking towards her, she was only removed from her trance as the boy spoke, "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Yukimura-san."

Daisuke felt something in her stomach as she saw that she is now face-to-face with the boy. She felt her cheeks getting hotter and hotter the longer she stares at the male, so she directed her eyes downward, but as soon as she looked down, she saw a hand extended to her. Feeling shy all of a sudden, Daisuke just stared at the hand.

"I take it that you don't want to shake hands," the red haired boy spoke.

Thinking that she had offended the boy, Daisuke explained, "N-no. It's j-just that it's m-my fir-first time sha-shaking hands with someone."

The female wondered why she stuttered.

"Oh. I apologize for being inconsiderate," the boy replied.

Feeling guilty all of a sudden, Daisuke suddenly raised her right hand and shook it with Seijuurou's hand. The boy was slightly taken back by the girl's sudden movement but quickly recovered from his minor shock. Daisuke looked at their hands, and felt the heat on her face spreading up to her ears and the odd feeling in her stomach getting stronger. She doesn't know what this feeling is called but all she knows that somewhere in her mind she likes this feeling and also want to feel it again.

* * *

[1] **Orenji or Orenji iro (****オレンジい****ろ****) is the most common term for Orange in Japanese. Daidaiiro is the old way of saying Orange in Japanese.**

[2]** "Aho" (****あほ****, ****アホ****, ****阿呆****), a**** Kansai dialect ****phrase meaning:****"****Idiot****" or "****dummy****".**

[3]** Daisuke: ****From Japanese**_**大**__**(dai)**_**"large, great" and**_**輔**__**(suke)**_**"help".**

[4] **(****お嬢さん****)**** Ojou-san and (****お嬢ちゃん****)**** Ojou-chan are used to address young girls. Ojo-chan is for, most of the time, a child.**

[5] **(****坊ちゃん****)**** Botchan s a form of address for a son of someone of high standing, or a young boy of position.**

[6] **(****お父さん****) Otousan ****is the polite word, when you talk of****someone else's father or address your own.**

[7] **-san ****（～さん）****" is a title of respect added to a name. It can be used with both male and female names, and with either surnames or given names.****  
**


	2. Ivy

**Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basuke ****(Kuroko's Basketball, The Basketball Which Kuroko Plays) is manga that is written and illustrated by no other than Tadatoshi Fujimaki. I don't own any of the manga's characters.**

**Author's Note: So here is the second chapter. Thank you for deciding on reading this story again, I hope that somehow this chapter may live up to your expectations and I want to apologize in advance for the sh*t that is going to happen in this chapter. Then again, comments, reviews, corrections and suggestions are greatly welcome.**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

IVY

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_Ivy __communicates certain messages such as friendship, affection, fidelity and wedded love__._

* * *

**Friendship**

Two small figures sat underneath an oak tree in the middle of the garden inside the Yukimura estate, both doing different things. The orange-haired figure is reading a book while the red-haired figure is playing by himself on a game called _shogi[1]_. Only the sound of the wind, birds, turning of pages and the clanking of the wooden pieces into the board are heard, the atmosphere between the two is shouting with tranquility.

Daisuke looked up from the book she's reading and glanced at the male beside her, Akashi Seijuurou. It's been four days since she was introduced to the said boy, and Daisuke observed that she has been feeling odd since then; whenever she is near to the boy, she feels weird things on her stomach and she can't also seem to look at the boy straightly in the eye, every time she tries to, her face always heats up, even with the slightest greeting from the male makes her feel giddy inside, and it has been bothering her greatly. She is totally confused why she acts so weak in front of the boy, and she is starting to dislike that feeling somehow.

She didn't notice that she has been staring at the red-haired boy for such a long time, that it is starting to feel awkward. Noticing the staring eyes of the female beside him, Seijuurou decided to speak up.

"Is there something on my face, Yukimura-san?"

Feeling embarrassed of being caught staring, Daisuke was unable to speak so she just shook her head as a response.

"Then, would you like to play shogi with me?" the boy asked.

"If that's what Akashi-san wants, then I'll play with you," Daisuke answered softly, avoiding contact with the male's eyes.

"Does Yukimura-san knows how to play shogi?" Seijuurou asked while arranging the pieces in the board.

"Yes. _Haha[2]_, taught me," Daisuke replied happily making her tone rise up a little.

"I see. Then, let us begin," the male said after he arranged the last piece.

Since it is the first time that they're going to play against each other, Seijuurou let Daisuke be the first to move.

As the game progresses, Daisuke would casually glance at Seijuurou as she moves a piece in order to see what will be the male's reaction, but as calm as Seijuurou is, she saw nothing; he is completely blank. But as the both of them continued, Daisuke noticed something about the male in front of her and that is he doesn't like losing at all; his mind is set on winning. The way he position his pieces in his turn is simply brilliant but at the same time, it is also terrifying.

He positions them perfectly, so perfect that he can crush his opponent in just one move. It is just like you are digging your own grave, but the only difference is that he is controlling you. Every move that you make is always countered by him, with attacks that will make a person think until his brain couldn't think anymore. In this game you are the prey and he is the predator, who is luring you into his trap, and once you've fallen, he will devour you; crushing you to the point you no longer have the courage to go any further.

Any other person would surely be crushed by now, but Daisuke is different. She was able to figure out what Seijuurou planned, so she synchronized her movements and thoughts with his own; she countered all of his attacks without falling into his trap.

Daisuke stares at Seijuurou as he is making is move, in which the red-haired male took notice of. The male suddenly let out a chuckle, surprising Daisuke.

"You've read me well, Yukimura-san," he said, looking Daisuke straight in her eyes.

"I don't quite understand what Akashi-san is talking about," Daisuke lied.

Sharp as always, Seijuurou was able to see through her lie.

"Has it always been your hobby or maybe your talent?" he asks while lookin at Daisuke as she positions her piece.

"As I said earlier, I don't understand what Akashi-san is talking about," she immediately replied.

Deciding on not pushing the matter further, Akashi Seijuurou stated, "But being able to read a person doesn't guarantee an absolute victory, you should think three to four steps ahead of your opponent, for there are many choices in this world,and you should be able to cover all of those choices, in that way victory is certain. Remember that failure is not an option, always aim for the win for this world has nothing to do with losers."

Daisuke just stared at him blanky, a feeling of terror is flowing inside her. She doesn't like this side of Akashi Seijuurou a bit, this side of him scares her, making her think where is the Akashi Seijuurou she met, the one she came to like.

"Ah, and Yukimura-san-" the male spoke interrupting her from her thoughts.

"_Ote[3]_," Seijuurou stated.

Daisuke looked down at the board, and there it is, a checkmate. When she returned her gaze at the male in front of her, she saw a hand extended to her, she slowly lifted her right hand and shook it with his own.

"It was nice playing with you, Yukimura-san. You gave me quite a challenge," the red-haired male said with a small smile on his lips.

Seeing the smile on the male's lips made Daisuke wonder what happened to the Akashi Seijuurou who she was playing with.

'Did Akashi-san just change his personality?' Daisuke thought while observing the said male.

"Is something wrong, Yukimura-san?" Seijuurou asked as he saw Daisuke staring at him.

"_Betsuni[4]_," Daisuke replied.

"I see," the male simply replied.

Feeling the temperature rising, the two children decided to go back inside the estate to protect themselves from the heat. They picked up their things and went inside.

As they were walking, Seijuurou stopped, looked at Daisuke and said, "By the way Yukimura-san, I would prefer it, if you would start regarding me by my given name."

"Eh!?" the female said with a blushing starting to form on her cheeks.

"I just think that we know each other quite well after we played," Seijuurou said smoothly not noticing the forming blush on the female's cheeks.

Daisuke was unable to respond feeling embarrassed at the thought of her saying the male's name.

"You don't want to?" he asked.

"No!" Daisuke bursted out, surprising the red-haired male.

She quickly covered her mouth and muttered a small apology after she yelled. Daisuke can feel her face getting hotter by every second.

"I want too. It's j-just that, I don't k-know what to ca-call Akashi-san," the orange-haired female stuttered.

"Yukimura-san can call me Seijuurou or Sei," the male replied while staring at the female beside him. But Daisuke didn't respond at all, making him sigh and continue on walking.

Daisuke felt that somehow she had disappointed the male, so she decided to say the male's name.

"Se-seijuurou," the female said softly.

Upon hearing his name, he turned to Daisuke and asked, "Did you say something, Yukimura-san?"

"Seijuurou," Daisuke said louder this time, liking the feeling of the male's name slipping out from her lips.

"I said it just now; your name, Seijuurou," continued the female with a large smile appearing on her blush-striken face.

The male was about to respond when Seiichi Yukimura appeared out of nowhere and said, "Seijuurou, your father is here already."

Seijuurou nodded in response and watched as the elder Yukimura walked away.

He then turned to Daisuke and said with a smile on his face, "Well, it's been a great pleasure spending this day with you. See you tomorrow, _Daisuke_."

Unable to say anything, Daisuke just stood there and watched the male walk away. She felt that odd sensation on her stomach again, she can also feel her face getting red. Seijuurou saying her name is something that she didn't expect; it completely caught her off-guard, but she can't deny the fact that she liked how her name rolled out from the male's lips. She inwardly wished to hear him say her name again because she knows that is something which she will seek out the most.

* * *

**Affection**

"Daisuke-_sama[5]_ if you are looking for Botchan, he's upstairs, in Akashi-sama's office," a maid said, seeing that the female child is looking for her friend.

Daisuke nodded to the unknown maid as a sign of gratitude, and went on her way.

Walking down the hall, Daisuke can't help but admire the various paintings on the wall; some have vibrant colors while some are dull, but even so the paintings fit the ambiance of the said household really well. As she almost reached the end of hall, Daisuke saw Seijuurou coming out of his father's room, she picked up her pace to greet him but slowed down instead as she saw the angry look on his face; his eyebrows are furrowed, his scarlet eyes are narrowed into slits, his lips are formed into a frown and his hands are clenched at his sides.

Daisuke approached the male silently, not wanting to alert him.

"Seijuurou," the female called out softly.

Seijuurou directed his eyes forward, his glare soften a little when he saw Daisuke approaching him.

"Are you alright?" Daisuke questioned, stopping in front of the male.

"I'm alright," he answered not noticing his cold tone.

Daisuke inwardly winced at his cold tone, she wanted to ask the male further but decided against it because she knows that the _other_ Seijuurou is the one in front of her and she doesn't want to encounter him again.

Wanting to lighten up the mood, Daisuke grasped the male's hand and happily said, "Seijuurou, let's play." She then dragged the male to the garden.

The two are now sitting side by side in front of a lake looking at their reflections on the water. Daisuke would frequently glance at the male, only to see him staring blankly at his reflection. Unable to bear that kind of expression at her friend's face, Daisuke just directed her thoughts into imagining the various fairytales she had read. She jumped in surprise as a hand released her hair from the pony-tail it was in. She turned to look at the male beside her who has her ribbon in his hand.

Seijuurou suddenly took a lock of Daisuke's orange hair in his right hand, drew it closer to his lips and kissed it gently.

"You should let your hair down often," he said softly.

He released the lock he was holding to caress Daisuke's hair. He ran his fingers gently through her hair, wanting to feel the smoothness of her hair. Daisuke couldn't help but to relax under his touch making her lean closer to the male.

"Your hair is beautiful, Daisuke. I like how it feels under my fingertips," Seijuurou said, not stopping his ministrations.

Daisuke blushed at the male's comment.

"Look at me, Daisuke," the male ordered.

She turned her body to face him. As she turned, her amethyst blue orbs came in contact with male's scarlet ones, the two locking their gazes with each other. Seijuurou stopped caressing Daisuke's hair but didn't remove his hand, he lifted his left hand and caressed the female's right cheek; running his thumb carefully over the soft skin.

"Your eyes are fascinating, Daisuke" Seijuurou muttered softly.

Daisuke can feel her face getting hotter and redder because of the male's statement. She couldn't help but to remain silent at the situation and to indulge herself at the feeling of the male's gentle hand.

"Is there something wrong, Daisuke?" he asked as soon as he noticed the female's silence.

"No, it's nothing," she replied.

The male only gave her a disbelieving look, which Daisuke just gave a sigh.

"It's just that Seijuurou says my name a lot," she muttered.

"I say your name a lot because I like it, I like how it sounds and how it rolls out my lips. _Daisuke_," the male replied immediately with a smile on his face.

Daisuke blushed harder at Seijuurou's comment.

"I would like it if you would stop teasing me," she said looking away.

"But I'm not. I really like your name, Daisuke," the male said while letting out a small chuckle.

The female let out a huff and said, "Whatever, I'm going inside."

Daisuke removed herself from the male's hands and walk hastily back to the Akashi household.

Seijuurou can't help but smile as he watched Daisuke walk inside. He stared at his hands, missing the contact already. He couldn't help but to admit that he really likes how Daisuke felt against him, and he just can't wait to hold her again.

* * *

**Fidelity and Wedded Love**

It was already the end of the season of Autumn when an unexpected incident happened. The female head of the Akashi household suddenly died for some unknown reason leading to this present day. People of different ages, coming from different families, are gathered now in a cemetery for the funeral of the mistress of the Akashi family.

All of the people gathered for the said event are all wearing black, a look of pity, disappointment and sadness are on their faces. Sounds of condolences being offered, gossips and fake sympathy are heard throughout the said event.

Daisuke couldn't help but to curse in her mind as she hears women gossiping about the dead woman.

'Don't those gold-diggers have any shame at all?' she thought bitterly.

Having heard enough, Daisuke decided to look for Seijuurou, she found him standing in front of the casket of his late mother. She approached the male and stood beside him quietly. Daisuke glanced at her friend, only to see him staring at the casket with an empty look on his face, his lips are formed into a thin line and his hands lay calmly at his side; there isn't any trace of tears on his face, he just stood there silently while staring at his mother.

Even though Seijuurou is not crying, Daisuke can clearly see the pain in his eyes; the pain he intends to hide.

Daisuke can hear murmurs of _"Does he even care for his mother?", "He's not even crying," and "What an insolent child," _and she knows that Seijuurou can hear it too, but he pays them no mind. She can feel her anger bubbling up as she heard more, she was about to tell those people to stop but a hand suddenly gripped hers preventing her from doing so.

"Don't," she heard him mutter in his broken voice.

The time for lowering the casket has come.

As the casket is being lowered, she can feel Seijuurou tighten his grip on her hand, making her look at him. She can see his eyes now turning into an angry glare and his lips forming into a scowl, she just observed him as he threw a rose into his mother. Seeing him throw the rose with that face made Daisuke feel what kind of pain-no anguish he is feeling. Daisuke admired him because of his strength and maturity, and looking at him at this state made her realize that no matter how strong he looks, he is just a child, a child who needs his mother.

Unable to hold the pain, Daisuke felt tears escape from her eyes. She didn't know where the pain is coming from, was it from the dead woman or was it from Seijuurou's pain itself?

The funeral has come to an end, and the people are now slowly leaving one by one.

The two of them are the only ones that were left behind, even the head of the Akashi family had gone ahead because he _needs_ to entertain his guests.

"Seijuurou, let's-" Daisuke turned to the male beside her. And what she saw made her broke down into tears.

In front of his mother's tombstone, stood Seijuurou crying; his tears are rapidly flowing down from his face, loud sobs are now coming out.

Daisuke suddenly encaged him to a hug, letting him cry on her shoulder, she can feel him envelop his arms around her. She can hear his painful sobs making her cry harder. This made her realize that no matter what she does, she can't elevate the pain Seijuurou is feeling right now.

Daisuke made a promise to herself that she will stand by his side always; she will not leave him no matter what because she knows now that she is the only person left; who will love him like how his mother loved him, and that's what you do with the person who love right, you will stay by his stay, support him by any means and remain faithful to him.

* * *

"_No matter what happens, I will always stay by your side._"

A promise made by girl who fell in love with a man that changed her.

* * *

**[1] ****(****将棋****)****Shogi****means general's (**_**shō**_**将****) board game (**_**gi**_**棋****) It is also known as****Japanese chess****or the****Generals' Game****, and is a two-player****strategy****board game****just like the Western board game, chess.**

**[2]****If you are referring to your own mother, you would traditionally use the word, 'haha' or '****母****'.**

**[3] **_"__**ōte!"**_**(****王手****)**** means "check!" or "checkmate".**

**[4] ****別に ****(betsuni) is used when someone asks you "Is something wrong?" and you respond "No, not really."**

**[5] **_**Sama**_** (****様 【さま】****[sama]****) is a markedly more respectful version of **_**san**_**. It is used mainly to refer to people much higher in rank than oneself, toward one's guests or customers****. { wiki/Japanese_honorifics}**

_Thank you for deciding to read this chapter. I want to apologize if my writing is sh*t still I hope you will continue on supporting my story. If you have any comments feel free to tell me. -IceCreamXMilk_


	3. Dahlia

**Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basuke ****(Kuroko's Basketball, The Basketball Which Kuroko Plays) is manga that is written and illustrated by no other than Tadatoshi Fujimaki. I don't own any of the manga's characters.**

**Author's Note: I'm really sorry for the VERY VERY LATE update, I just suffered from a writer's block; I couldn't come up with anything, when I already thought of something *poof* it just pops away. I'll try to post at least 2 chapters this week to make up for the VERY LONG delay. And to those who have been reading this story, I want to say thank you very much, your views means a lot to me.**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

DAHLIA

* * *

_Dahlia symbolizes dignity and embodies every aspect of elegance._

* * *

It has been a week since the female head of the Akashi family passed away, the whole place is still gloomy; the absence of the mistress is still lingering in the servants' minds. Although it is barely noticeable at all, they know that the loss is affecting their dear masters greatly, especially the offspring, Seijuurou; the boy would just lock himself up in his room, stare at his window and space out, the servants can sometimes hear quiet sobs coming out from the male's room. They can't help but to pity the boy; he still hasn't got over his mother's death and his father is not helping at all, ignoring the child most of the time. They know that if this will keep going on, Seijuurou may damage his health, so they decided on cheering the child up; what is the best way in cheering a person up? It's giving him what he likes the most, so they called the Yukimura residence.

Meanwhile in the library of the said house, Seijuurou is sitting on a stool, reading a book. He has been reading that book for quite some time now, he still can't bring himself up to finish it for his thoughts is still lingering somewhere, his mother, he still can't accept the fact that the person who cherished him the most is gone now. He is still wondering on how he is going to live from now on; his mother understood him the most, his mother was always there for him, his father- he can't even bring himself to think about his father. In this time of need, his father is ignoring him, choosing to deal with his business rather than staying by his son's side.

_Drip_

_'What is that?'_

_Drip. Drip._

Seijuurou touched his left cheek, he can feel something wet dripping down.

_'Am I crying?'_

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

His tears won't just stop coming.

_'Tch, if father sees me like this, he will scold me.'_

_'Stop.'_

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

_'_

_ Stop it.'_

_Sob._

_'I told you to stop, dammit!'_

_Knock. Knock._

At the sound of the knock, Seijuurou immediately wiped his tears away from his eyes, and called out "What is it?"

"_Botchan_, Akashi-_sama _demands your presence," a muffled voice replied.

"I understand, where is he at?" the male questioned.

"Akashi-_sama _is in his office."

"I see. You may go now," he told the person outside loudly.

He immediately closed his book and put it back to the shelf then exited the library. As he walked down the hall towards his father's office, his eyes caught the sight of a picture hanging in the wall. He stopped at his tracks, and then walked towards the said portrait; it's a picture of his mother in the garden. _'Beautiful,'_ he immediately thought. The female is holding her favorite flower, Dahlia, in her right hand with a huge smile, that can be mistaken as a grin, etched into her lips. He can't help but to observe the image; the sunlight is illuminating his mother's face, making her more beautiful than she already is. As his eyes landed on the flower on his mother's hand, he suddenly remembered something about that flower.

* * *

_It was already noon when Seijuurou woke up, he was extremely tired from all the training he has been doing. Basketball, it was a sport that his mother introduced to him not only a week ago, he found the said activity enjoyable; he was able to move around and do a lot of moves rather than just sitting in a chair and think of ways to beat your opponent. He didn't know why he wanted to learn this sport pretty bad, maybe because it's his mother introduced it to him or maybe he was just bored of doing the same thing over and over. _

_As soon as he glanced at his clock, he immediately washed himself up and raced down to find his mother. He was running pretty fast, when he suddenly saw his father exit from the library, he suddenly slowed down his pace and went to greet his father._

"_Ohayou gozaimasu[1], Otou-sama," he greeted his father happily._

_The older man simply nodded his head as a response and went on his way. _

_Seeing that his father is already far away, he continued his sprint to find his mother._

_'Where could mother be?' the boy thought as he ran down the stairs._

_An idea suddenly popped up in his mind, he quickened his pace and ran towards the garden. As soon as he stepped into the garden, he saw his mother's figure hunched down, planting something what looked like a flower._

"_Okaasan[2]," he called out._

_The woman turned and looked at her son with a smile on her face. _

"_What is it, Sei?" the woman questioned her son softly._

"_What are you planting?" replied the male while observing the lavender pink colored flower in his mother's hand._

_As the question escaped from the male's lips, the female Akashi looked down at the flower. _

"_Ah, this?" _

_Seijuurou nodded._

"_It's a Dahlia, Sei," she said simply._

_The boy tilted his head slightly in confusion and asked, "What's a Dahlia, Okaasan?"_

_The female caressed the flower with her other hand and answered, "Dahlia is a flower that symbolizes dignity and elegance."_

_With that said, the woman continued on her previous task. _

_Seijuurou watched intently as his mother planted the said flower._

* * *

_Dignity and Elegance_

_Those two words lingered in his mind_

* * *

"_Okaasan," he called out softly._

_The woman just hummed in reply._

"_Okaasan is a Dahlia," the red haired boy said loudly._

_His mother laughed, and the boy smiled; liking the sound of his mother's laugh._

"_And why is that, Sei?" she asked._

"_It's because you are beautiful just like the flower," the woman couldn't help but to smile at her son's reply._

"_If I grow up, I will marry a woman that is just like you, Okaasan; pretty, elegant and dignified," the boy proudly declared._

_The female Akashi just laughed harder._

"_Come here, Sei."_

_Seijuurou walked towards his mother, only to be enveloped in a hug. He hugged her back while snuggling closer to feel her warmth. _

_Drip. Drip._

_The boy looked up, only to see tears escaping from his mother's eyes._

"_What's wrong, Okaasan?" he asked with a look of concern on his face._

_The female just shook her head as a sign of saying that: nothing's wrong. She wiped her tears and kissed him softly on his forehead._

"_Let's go back, Sei" with that she stood up and walked inside._

_The boy simply stared at his mother's retreating figure, he touched his forehead, finding that his mother's lips seemed so cold all of a sudden._

Seijuurou shook his head as he snapped out of his thoughts.

_'There's no use in thinking of Okaasan, it won't bring her back,'_ the boy thought bitterly.

He, then, continued his way to his father's office.

* * *

_Ring. Ring._

Daisuke's ears perked up at the sound of the telephone ringing. She turned her head and looked at the said item with irritation, she was reading a book silently in the living room when the phone suddenly rang.

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

She just stared at it blankly, not wanting to answer the annoying object.

_Ring. Ring._

_Stare._

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

"God! Answer the damn phone, Seiichi!"

There goes her mother.

Daisuke was still staring at the phone when her father came in grumbling about how he hate phones. Seiichi immediately noticed is daughter, and said "Ah~ Dai-_chan_, you were here all along. Why didn't you answer the phone?"

But the child just simply glanced at him and returned back to her reading. She could hear bits of her father's conversation on the said phone.

"Oh, I see."

"Alright then, I'll talk to him."

"We'll bring Daisuke too."

"I'll phone him right now to let him now that we are going to come over."

"No, it's ok. I am glad that I could help out."

She could her father sigh as he brought the phone down. Then her mother came, "What's with that sigh, Sei?" she asked.

"The boy needs to cheer up," her father replied sadly.

"I see. Then, let us go there immediately," Sachiko said as she exited the room.

"Daisuke," her father called out.

The said girl looked at her father, already knowing what he would say. She closed her book, stood up and walked towards her mother. She opened her mouth and said, "We are going to visit Seijuurou."

* * *

The red-haired boy knocked lightly, and entered when he heard a small 'Come in' from the other side of the door. He closed the door, and turned to look at his father, only to find him looking out the window with his back facing the said boy. He can feel that his father is angry with him and he also knows that he is going to be scolded, so he didn't bother to call the elder's attention.

"Seijuurou," his father said coldly that the boy flinched.

"I heard from the maids that you're locking yourself up in your room. Is that true?"

"_Hai[3_], _otou-san_," Seijuurou answered softly.

"And why is that, Seijuurou?" the older man asked, turning around to face his son.

Somewhat afraid, the red-haired boy directed his eyes downward and kept quiet for he knows what will his father say when he finds out the reason why. Unfortunately, his father doesn't like not being answered.

"I just asked you a question, hence I _demand_ an answer," came the angry tone of his father. He continued, "Now, why are _you_ locking yourself up in your room?"

The poor boy softly replied, "I miss _Okaasan_."

"How pathetic."

The elder's eyes is narrowed down into slits and his lips curled down into a scowl; showing his disappointment towards his son's behaviour. He did not raise this child, nonetheless an Akashi at that, to just act so low and weak just because of just a loss. Does this insolent boy do not know of this world's standards? The weak are always being trampled on by the strong, and being an Akashi means that you should be strong, perfection is everything. The older man could feel his anger rising up as he thought about this things.

"How many times have I told you that perfection is everything and that we are absolute? I don't care if she is your mother or what, I did not raise you to act so low by just a _mere _loss. How utterly _disgusting," _the elder spat out coldly.

Seijuurou bit down his lip and clenched his fist. 'How can father say that? Isn't mother his wife?' he thought bitterly.

"I expected more from you, Seijuurou, for you are the heir of this family."

_'Stop.'_

"You should be an example to others, not a thing to be pitied upon."

_'Please stop.'_

"Expect that things are going to be more strict now. And I don't want to hear another word of your childish acts, understood?"

_'No.'_

"Yes, _otou-san_."

"Leave."

The boy did as he was told.

* * *

**[1] ****お早うございますす ****/ ****おはようございます ****(ohayō gozaimasu) means good morning.**

**[2] ****お母さんん ****(okaasan) means mother.**

**[3] ****はい ****(hai) means yes**

_Then, thank you for reading this chapter. I'll repeat I'll try to post 2 chapter this week to make up for the delay. I just want to tell you that I may not update this story frequently because of school work but when I will update expect 2 chapters from me. I hope that you will continue on supporting this story. If you have any comments, suggestions and corrections feel free to tell me. -IceCreamXMilk_


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